Alan Jouban vs. Belal Muhammad
The fight was the UFC debut of Belal Muhammad, replacing an injured Nordine Taleb. He came into the fight undefeated and it was his first loss. The first round began and they touch gloves. Jouban lands a leg kick. Jouban lands an inside kick to the groin, time called, they keep going actually, touch gloves. Jouban drops him with a left, half-guard after pouncing. 4:00. Belal regains guard, thinks guillotine, lets it go. Belal goes for an omoplata, stands to the clinch. Jouban knees the body. Belal works a double. He gets it to butterfly guard. Hard lefts under as Jouban stands. He knees the head, clinch. Belal gets a trip, they break. 3:00. Belal lands a right, not much behind it. Jouban lands a nasty body kick and a leg kick. Belal checks an inside kick. Belal lands a jab. Jouban drops him with a huge high kick, left under, a right, five left elbows. Two more, half-guard. Four more. Two more. Under 2:00. Belal trying to hold on. Jouban lands a big left, gets the back, knees the body. A left under, another, half-guard. Three short left elbows. Belal looks to stand. 1:00. Jouban tries a big right. Belal stands to the clinch. Dude's got heart and a chin. 35. Jouban knees the body. Jouban nods to his corner, knees the body. They break. 15. Jouban lands a left uppercut right. Jouban lands a hard leg kick, R1 ends, 10-8 Jouban IMO, two near-finishes. "Let's go back to the body, that's what started everything, let's go!" they tell Jouban. R2 began and they touch gloves. Belal lands a right. Jouban lands a leg kick. Belal lands a jab. Jouban lands a hard body kick. Jouban lands a body kick, something happened there, possible foul, they keep going. Jouban stuffs a single. 4:00. Belal lands a left. Another possible eyepoke. Jouban keeps going. Jouban lands a wicked body kick. He lands a blocked high kick. Jouban drops him with a counter left. Belal stands instantly to the clinch, dude's tough. 3:00. Belal knees the leg. Jouban lands a couple lefts inside. Belal knees the leg a few times. He works a single and lands some rights to the body and head inside. Stuffed by Jouban. Belal knees the leg. He works a single. 2:00. Stuffed. Belal knees the thigh. He works a single. Jouban was warned for a fence grab but successfully stuffs it, they break. Jouban lands a right hook and a glancing left. Belal eats a partially blocked high kick. Belal is warned for an eyepoke. Belal lands an inside kick. 1:00. Jouban lands a jab. Belal lands a leg kick and eats a hard inside kick. Belal tries a left uppercut. Jouban lands a jab. 35. Jouban lands a body kick and a left and a jab. Belal lands a left. 15. Belal tries and gets a double. A few rights under as Jouban stands to the clinch. He tries a spinning elbow, R2 ends, 10-9 Jouban but much closer. They won't let Belal reinsert his contact lens in the corner. R3 began and they touch gloves. Belal lands a right. Belal lands another. Jouban lands an inside kick, stuffs a single to the clinch. Belal knees the leg a few times. Another. 4:00. A few more. They break. Belal lands a right. "Knock him out!" Jouban lands an inside kick. Belal lands a right. Jouban blocks a high kick. Jouban lands a leg kick, they keep going, possible eyepoke to Belal. Jouban said I didn't touch him. 3:00. Belal lands a high kick blocked. He tries a right uppercut. Jouban lands a jab. Belal lands a one-two and a right. He lands a right. He lands a right uppercut and a right and a jab. He almost hit the camera with an uppercut. Belal blocks a high kick, eats an inside kick. Jouban lands a jab. Belal lands a jab. 2:00. Belal lands a one-two. Jouban lands a jab. Belal lands a right. Belal ate an eyepoke, they keep going. Jouban blocks a body kick. Belal checks an inside kick, lands a right and a huge one. He lands a big right, another, right uppercut, left hook. Belal lands a right. He lands a big right. 1:00. Belal lands a jab and a right, another. And a big one. Another. Another big one. A right uppercut, right. He eats a jab. Jouban lands a hard jab, eats a right. Belal lands a right, eats a body kick and a front kick. 30. Belal lands a jab. And a right. Jouban lands a counter left, eats a right and another. Belal lands a right and another, right uppercut and a right. A right uppercut. And a jab and a spinning backfist, R3 ends, crowd roaring, 10-9 Belal, 29-27 Jouban IMO. They shake hands as they await the decision walking around restlessly. 28-27, 29-28, 29-27 UD for.. Jouban. "Belal Muhammad, tough son of a bitch. So tough, kept coming back. A lot of people don't know him but he never lost a round in his career, had a belt in Titan FC. Me coming here and taking him out like that says a lot guys. I belong in the top ten, top fifteen. Joe Silva I need a top fifteen fight." He says he broke his hand in the second round. "My offensive output slowed a lot. I had to try to survive with my right hand (jabs) and my kicks." He asks again for a top fifteen fight at Madison Square Garden. Says he'll bring the fashion industry. His left eye's almost swollen shut but he wears it well. Great fight.